“I’m sorry about what happened… the Dreg fire. I asked my mom if we could send help…” She hedged. “But we were afraid of getting in trouble.”
So much had happened over the last twenty-four hours that I felt sick thinking about. The fire, the Watcher attack on the train, the trial, Kaelric.
“It’s fine,” I told her and then moved to the platform. “Thanks for the message.” I wondered if Kaelric and I would be on the same train, or if he would run all the way home in his wolf form.
“You’re a hero!” She called out after me.
A hero? To who? Not the Elite, and when I came home with no magic, not my people.
I slipped inside the train doors and collapsed into the empty car, pain and fatigue pulling at my limbs. Peeling open the scroll, my heart leapt into my throat when I noticed Cassian’s handwriting.
Dearest Brynn,
I found out who killed my brother. I had to flee. They were going to kill me, too. The fire, my brother, the attack in your dorm, it was Corvessa. Watch your back and, most importantly, win the trials. For me, for my brother, for Fiona, for your family. For yourself. I believe in you.
Magic for all.
I’ll find you,
Cassian
I gasped.
Cassian Draven was alive.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ilanded in Hildreth with a broken heart and the weight of shame pressing down on me. Every step off that train felt heavy with uncertainty. What would I be walking into? Would Kaelric reject his offer to care for my people now that I had chosen to keep Valkaryn, a decision I regretted more deeply with each passing second? Of course, he would. Why wouldn’t he? I had betrayed him, and he had no reason to continue protecting those I loved.
When I stepped out into the village proper, my breath caught. Hildreth spread before me in a sweep of beauty I hadn’t expected. To the west, flat plains of farmland stretched endlessly, golden and fertile beneath the late sun. To the east, thick trees reached all the way to snowcapped mountains that pierced the sky like silver teeth. A glimmering lake shone in thedistance, reflecting the green of the surrounding land. Everything about this place was lush, alive, and brimming with promise.
Just as Kaelric had described, bright orange pumpkins lined the roadways, their vines spilling into the grass. Wild berries clung to bushes at the edges of paths. The heart of town sat nestled against the train station, a cluster of narrow streets alive with simple charm. There was a general store with a hand-painted sign swinging in the breeze, an open-air farmers’ market where stalls were already being set up for tomorrow’s trade, and a seamstress with fabric bolts spilling from her doorway. It reminded me of Aerlyn, but stripped of its cold perfection. This place was earthy and real, untouched by elites.
Off in the distance, I spotted a sprawl of tents dotting the horizon. Hundreds of them. My people.
Wolfkin villagers offered polite smiles and small waves as I passed, their eyes curious but kind. I waited for Kaelric or one of his warriors to appear, to tell me to leave, to escort me out. A terrible image rose in my mind of my people being ordered to break down their tents, forced to scatter across the land with nowhere to go.
“Brynn.”
The female voice came from behind me, sharp enough to startle. I spun, heart racing.
I recognized her immediately. One of Kaelric’s wolves. She had been there during Elia’s rescue.
Her gaze went to Valkaryn at my hip and, to my surprise, she bowed her head deeply.
“Um, hi. I know I’m probably not supposed to be here, but I wanted to check on my family,” I said quickly. If she tried to stop me, I would fight.
Her expression flickered with confusion. “Yes. My name is Larissa. I’m here to take you to them.”
“Oh. Okay.” My throat felt dry, but I forced the words out.
It dawned on me then. Kaelric must not be back yet. He hadn’t told his wolves to evict us.
But even as I thought it, Kaelric emerged from a meeting hall. Elia walked beside him, speaking animatedly. His eyes landed on me for the briefest of moments. His expression revealed nothing, no sign that my presence struck him at all. Then he turned and walked away.
The rejection hollowed me out inside.
Elia, however, bolted across the square, her voice rising in joy. “Brynn!”
